Rock Island Armory makes shotguns. Why did I not know this? I kinda like the looks of their stainless M5:
The website is a little, um, sparse on details, offering only that it has a 3" chamber, 5-shot capacity, and plastic furniture. Online retailers carry new models for well under $300, putting it slightly below the Mossberg 500 and Remington 870. The positioning of the stock to the receiver looks like the Ithaca 37, though (which is surprisingly expensive compared to the Mossberg and Remington models).
In any case, one could do a lot worse than a new 12 gauge pump-action shotgun for under $300...
That is all.
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And those heat shields are super useful. I was shooting sporting clays with my 590 and while I was waiting for the next stage my shotgun bumped my arm. the shield was warm but didn't burn me. The barrel likely would have!
Ithacas aren't even made in Ithaca, NY, anymore, but somewhere in the midwest. From what I can ascertain the company isn't trying to compete head-to-head with the other shotgun manufacturers on price point, but seem to be marketing on the nostalgia factor for the beautiful Ithaca look (bottom loading/ejecting makes for a clean, handsome receiver). It's sort of the way that Randall makes knives; small production and limited quantity, thus more demand and higher price.
Nice, but ya can't go wrong with one of those Mossberg Mavericks. When I was at the big Merchant of Death Sunday they were selling them for $229. Not bad for what is really a discount Mossberg 500 3" magnum with 20" barrel, 7+1 capacity and comes with both synthetic full stock and pistol grip. One of the skeet shooters at my club picked one up as a home defense gun. Of course he wanted to make sure it was reliable, so he brought it up and he and anyone else who wanted to try it shot a few rounds of skeet with it. He ran a few hundred rounds through it without a hiccup, and was even breaking clays almost as well as with his expensive skeet gun.
Did some digging (wasn't hard) and they appear to be a clone of the old High Standard riot shotguns with an additional action bar.
Made by Armscor.
Supposedly a pretty slick shotgun design.
WARNING! WARNING! Before you choose to purchase one these Shotguns, go to one of the places that sell accessories such as slings, sights, extended tubes, etc. You will find TONS of stuff for 870's, Mossies and some for Winchester Defenders and Benellis. Every other make has little to no Aftermarket support. Trust me, I got a Police Turn-In Smith and Wesson Riot Gun a couple of years ago, and because they use a different thread on the end cap, there is no place to put a sling. I can't mount a side saddle, either. I'll bring it to the shoot in August to show you.
I'd say there's a Konspiracy, but it's probably just the Law of Supply and Demand .....
I think that stainless one would love a 2-week vacation in my shop...
Armscor makes a lot of stuff, not all of which makes it over here. Those old Squires Bingham .22's were made by them as I recall, and those quasi AK and AR looking plinkers you have seen in the gun shop. Yep. Them too. I believe a Squires Bingham .22 action is buried under all that dressing. Haven't seen any reviews of their shotguns, but Armscor/Rock Island kind of remind me of what some of the imitative things the late Spanish gun manufacturers would do.
Their revolvers are ( I think) a knock off of some Colt design, so hearing that their shotguns are a clone of a Hi standard wouldn't surprise me. As for accessories, I suspect you would have to take the gun as is, unless you can order accessories directly.
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